Original Six Foundation to distribute over 35,000 books to SC kindergarten students in rural & under-resourced communities

Throughout the month of May, the Original Six (O6) Foundation will distribute over 35,000 books to a record 44 public schools located in rural and under-resourced communities. For the first time in program history schools in Chester County, Dillon County and Spartanburg County will take part in the My First Library program. My First Library offers 3,500 South Carolina kindergarten students an invitation to choose ten high-quality, grade-level summer reading books at end-of-the-year book fairs. The students keep the books and are encouraged to read them over the summer. Through a partnership with Bojangles, students who return their signed book log to teachers after summer break earn a restaurant gift card.

“The Original Six Foundation’s My First Library program supports children whose families often do not have the resources to properly nurture a proficiency in and love of reading,” executive director Kara Gormley Meador said. This year’s event will truly be a statewide effort with organizations like the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV), South Carolina’s Center for Education Recruitment, Retention and Advancement (CERRA) and South Carolina Economic Developers’ Association (SCEDA) all leading efforts to collect new early reader books for the children served through this program.

About The Original Six Foundation

Founded by Ambassador Nikki Haley during her tenure as Governor, the O6 Foundation believes children across South Carolina deserve a quality education regardless of where they are born and raised. The O6 Foundation works to improve education by identifying gaps and filling them through hands-on engagement and resources. To learn more please visit: www.originalsixfoundation.org.